The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-23

tributed. General Sherman has recently
since the death of General Logan-paid him a
very high ompliment for his gallant conduct on
that day. Very naturally General Logan felt
though he never permitted . complaint to es-
cape his Extraordinarily aggreved that Gen.
eral .. q. Howard was appointed over him to
the command of the Army Of the Tennessee,
after McPherson's death, and attributed the ap-
pointment of Howard to West Point influences,
that certainly did prevail for q time, at least in
many officers of less ability, and even of less
rank-permit himself to 'sulk in his tent" but
aid his duty afterwards, nobly and we'll.
just seven days after the battle of the 22d,
the Army OF the Tennessee was withdrawn
from the left flank of the federal army and
thrown on the extreme rght-a most difficult
movement in front of an active and vglant
enemy. The presence of Logan the morning
Wien the army went into position on the right
was, at one time, as have often asserted equal
to brigade thrown into position at the right
moment Hood undertook to repeat the same
tactics he had used the week preceding. He
determined to strike the federal army when it
was going into position. Forming his troops
five lines deep he assaulted them with such
force, ard with such overpowering numbers,
that 1t was almost miracle the
federals were enabled to hold their position,
as they were entirely unprotected with
works of any kind. The rebels, however, were
repulsed in their first assault only to renew it
again with redoubed energy, and this time two
regiments On the right of the brigade had the
honor to command gave way. was frantic
over the situation, but did the best under the
circumstances possible. by facing a portion of
my own regiment at right angles with the line
OF battle. With the eye Of an eagle, General
Logan, from his position In the rear-if an Off
Ger ike him ever had position during d battle
had discovered the break in his lines. Like a
thunderbolt he rushed to the spot, and accom-
panied by only single staff oficer-Major
Houghtelling, also of Illinois-he rushed up
70 e..
could be heard above the din Of battle
ordered them back into the lines from which
they were fleeing. If he was splendid on ordi-
nary occasions when on horseback he was mag
nificent on this! l saw him with the fiat of his
sword strike more than a half-dozen of the flee
Ing men across their backs, and on such occa-
slons he certainly would be excused for not being
overmuch choice in the language he used He
succeeded in checking the retreating troops,
grasped the coIors of the regiment, and, through
very shame. believe, the men rushed back and
retook the line. But for General Logan's oppor-
tune arrival on that occasion our lines would
nave certainly been broken at that point and
what the final result would have been can only
be surmised. Hence / have always claimed
that the presence of General Logan at that point
was equal to brigade sent into the right place
at the precise moment Certainly, a brigade Of
troops could have done no more than TO have re-
stored the broken line, and this General Logan
Gid, with the meager assistance of a single
officer
On the morning after the rebels evacuated
kenesaw mountain and fell back to the Chatta-
hoochie river, the skirmishere in front Of my
brigade had discovered signs of withdrawal al on
the part OF the enemy. and, of course informed
me of their surmises. l also informed nv SUI
periors, but my division commander was conf
dent that the men were mistaken, and would not
give me permission to reinforce my skirmish
lines, and, by advancing, ascertain the truth
On my own account, however / sent ont 200
additional men. with instructions to push the
enemy at about o'clock in the morning and at
that hour / also went out to the line No enc
my was found, but we captured seventy or
eighty prisoners and 500 Springfield rifles.
In the fort on top of Kenesaw
one of the soldiers found note addressed on the
outside of the envelope to Gen. John A. Logan.
The soldier handed me the letter, and, as it was
not sealed, perused it. The letter was from
former Illinois citizen-a Young man. who in the
note claimed that he was only carrying out the
principles of the Democratic party by joining
the South and fighting for the side that was op-
pressed. do not of course, remember the pre-
else language, although it was we'll written but
quite lengthy. One of the stakes that supported
the embrasure had been split for some distance,
and the letter haG been thrust into the end thus
holding 1t secure and at the same time making
1t so conspicuous an object that it would scarce
~ be missed. The soldier who captured
it was positive that he saw the
as the eye of the former raised to the Level of
the mountain. The latter then ran down Kene-
saw on the opposite side a bullet from Spring
field causing him to hurry forward / present
ed the letter to General Logan in person, and I
remember that it annoyed him a great deal more
than any one would suppose such trivial affair
would do; but ii / remember correctly the writer
very greatly blamed the Democratic party for
the position he then occupied, and at the same
time emphatically accused Logan of teaching
the same doctrine before the war. The writer of
the letter was evidently we'll known to the Gen
erai, as he wrote IN such way as to convey the
idea that they were familiar at an earlier day in
Illinois. General Logan, in talking about it aft
erwards, declared that he never dreamed that
that war would come, up till within
a short time before the firing on Fort Sumter:
but that done, the duty of every man who loved
his country was plain, and that was to stand by
the government, and to crush traitors, and wipe
out treason. Evidently the man who had writ
ten the letter, the General declared was unable
to disconnect himself from his Kentucky rela-
tives and friends, and manfully come out on the
side of the Union. He also declared that he
knew of q number of excellent young men in
southern Illinois who bad been influenced to
enter the confederate service at the instigation
of their lady friends on the southern side of the
Ohio river, and this was no doubt true-for
assuredly, the most vicious and active secession
is..s m rne South were the ladies'
Readers of the various histories of the late
war will remember how greatly the people of the
North were depressed after General Sherman
cut loose from Atlanta and for weeks was lost to
the country, over the seeming dilatoriness of
General Thomas in not attacking Hood and driv-
ing him out of Tennessee. This depression was
shared by General Halleck ard the War Depart
ment. OF course thew were not on the ground
and could not know the difficulties that sur
rounded General Thomas Daily the complaints
grew louder and louder, and finally this feeling
manifested itself in demand that General
Thomas should be removed and some one placed
in command of the army who would do some
thing to drive Hood out of Tennessee
At last it was determined that the
hero of Chickamauga--the man who had
saved all that was left of that terrific contest
should be displaced, and Halleck issued an or
der directing the old veteran to turn his COM
mand over to General Schofeld. Afterwards
General Grant directed General Logan-who
President Lincoln, came home and participated
IN tho rrcIitical battle of 1864-to nroceed to
Nashville and assume command of his army l